Continuous creation of awareness on the negative consequences of drug abuse is very needful. This is the postulation of Dr. Perpetual Chia, a Clinical Psychologist with the Federal Medical Center (FMC) Makurdi, just as she noted that such awareness creation could help warn young people about the dangers inherent in the use of illicit drugs.
Chia stated this at a one day public lecture organised by Connecting Lens Initiative to mark the International Day Against Illicit Drugs and Trafficking held at the NUJ House, Makurdi, the Benue State capital on Friday.
Lamenting that substance use or drug abuse had become a serious problem not only in Nigeria but globally, Chia said it had therefore become a global health concern as it affects the user mentally, psychologically, socially, economically, religiously and in every other aspect of life.
Said she: “However they have their consequences and problems as they are gateway drugs which open the way for one to use higher drugs which could make one to be more predisposed to other ailments and affect the way one thinks and behaves”.
On his part, another guest lecturer, Dr. Michael Amedu, a Psychiatrist with FMC, Makurdi warned youths against indulging in drug abuse stressing that the consequences were too dare.
Explaining that many with very high potentials of becoming prominent people in the society had had their dreams cut short and many ending up with mental illness as a result of drug abuse, he enjoined participants who were drawn from secondary schools within Makurdi town to guard themselves against indulging in the use of illicit drugs.
Earlier, representative of Connecting Lens Initiative, Barr. Lazarus Mom, said the day was organised because drug abuse had become a huge problem in the society.
Said Mom: “The focus of this lecture is on youths because they are the most vulnerable at this stage. We organised the event with a view to helping youths overcome drug abuse”.
